Where I Stand -- Frank Wright: Las Vegans can make a difference in preserving history

I HEAR IT ALL the time. Las Vegans don't care about the history of their city. New residents, having roots in other parts of the country, are particularly uninterested. Las Vegas is so young that there isn't much history worth knowing or many buildings worth saving. Besides, what's the point? It's only indulging in nostalgia and there isn't much one person can do anyway.

I don' believe it. First of all, I know that there are lots of Las Vegans, recent arrivals as well as longtime residents, who are interested in local history. They call up to satisfy curiosity about a historical question, to seek help for their children with their Nevada history projects, to ask what they can do to protect yet another historic building from demolition.

My contacts with local service clubs, senior groups and museum visitors, as well as local and national media, convince me that there is tremendous interest in the history of Las Vegas.

Nevertheless, Las Vegas has been quite heedless of historic buildings that are reminders of our past. There is a lengthening list of vanished buildings, but one example will make the point.

Except for a dwindling number of 90-year-old workers' cottages downtown, there is nothing left to remind us that this internationally famous resort city grew from a tiny railroad whistle-stop.

There are signs that this attitude is changing as Las Vegas matures. The city, for example, has recently moved to strengthen its ordinance on historic preservation. It has also met the formal criteria to become a Certified Local Government. This will entitle the city to a portion of state-allocated federal funding for preservation efforts.

Individuals can make a difference by urging other local governmental agencies to adopt similar measures and by voicing their concern about the loss of historic structures.

Local historic-preservation ordinances can help preserve the most significant structures and historic districts by encouraging renovation and adaptation to new uses. Excellent examples of adaptive use can be seen in many of the professional offices in the 1930s-era residential neighborhood near the old Las Vegas High School.

Interested individuals can also do much to preserve local history in a broader sense by supporting local museums, historical societies and special-collections libraries. These public institutions are not lavishly funded and rely to a great extent on community involvement.

Support can be expressed in many ways. Membership dues and financial donations support exhibition and collection activities, and volunteer programs provide the experience of actually working with curators in behind-the-scenes tasks.

Just as important is the support that is expressed through the donation of papers, photographs and historical artifacts. Most of us have memorabilia stashed away in closets, garages and places of business. Often these collections will be tossed away by children and grandchildren to whom they are not so meaningful.

Almost anyone can further the preservation of our heritage for interpretation to future generations by going through this material and deciding what might be of interest to museums and libraries. It's not necessary that the photos or artifacts be especially old. Museums expect to be around for a very long time, and material that helps tell the story of Las Vegas in the late 20th century will be invaluable to Las Vegans decades from now.

Diaries, business papers, videos, mining and gaming equipment, clothing, entertainers' costumes and memorabilia, even the yellowing photographs in the family album can help future historians tell the phenomenal story of Las Vegas. If you think you have items of interest, discuss them with a museum curator or librarian.

Why does any of this matter? Speaking as one of many who, knowing next to nothing about Las Vegas, came only accidentally and ended up staying, I can attest to the fact that it's useful.

Learning about the community's history through its artifacts, personal histories and significant homes and buildings is powerful motivation for caring about the community and feeling a part of it.

In an age when we decry the loss of civic-mindedness, learning about our past and contributing to its preservation and interpretation seem like a pretty significant undertaking.

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